Rodrigues, Now a VP, First Worked with the Children’s Coding Brand in 2018
Code Ninjas, a franchise that teaches computer coding skills to kids, welcomes back Mike Rodrigues, who returns to serve as vice president of franchise development. With a goal of scaling the brand to 400 locations by 2025, Rodrigues will elevate Code Ninjas through various innovative growth tactics. He’ll work with another Code Ninjas newcomer, Chief Marketing and Product Officer Julie Longino.
Rodrigues was introduced to Code Ninjas in 2018 when he applied to become a center director at one of the brand’s franchise locations. Later, at the franchisor level, he worked in nearly every aspect of operations, marketing, training and franchise development. Rodrigues became director of company operations in 2023 before leaving to serve as vice president of franchise development for Franperform, a franchise sales organization.
The self-proclaimed video game nerd has long embraced Code Ninjas’ use of that medium to help kids develop important and marketable skills such as coding, robotics and problem-solving. “I’ve been a part of the organization from very early on, and being a part of the evolution of the business in every aspect has been fascinating,” Rodrigues said.
CEO Navin Gurnaney sees Rodrigues and Longino as excellent additions to the franchise’s leadership team. “Their extensive expertise and experience in their respective fields will be invaluable as we continue to drive the growth and success of the Code Ninjas brand,” Gurnaney said.
Due Diligence Process
One of Rodrigues’ main responsibilities will be guiding prospects through their due diligence. “My job is not to sell a candidate on a Code Ninjas franchise. It’s more that I am a conduit for information to allow them to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Building that relationship of trust and transparency from the very first call to me will always be the most important part of the franchise development process. Finding new franchisees with a passion for helping kids and being part of a community is incredibly rewarding, and every day is unique. The stories, the why’s and the conversations are so interesting.”
As the former owner of electronics and financial services businesses, Rodrigues possesses a firsthand perspective of entrepreneurship. “Being able to understand what it takes to build something from the ground up is very different than just trying to understand it through the experience of others,” he said. Even his educational background has an entrepreneurial focus: He holds a bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University in entrepreneurial studies. Rodrigues also has a competitive nature that has served him well in business and during his leisure time; he’s been shooting pool in the American Poolplayers Association for 12 years.
About Code Ninjas
Founded in 2016, Code Ninjas teaches coding skills to 5- to 15-year-olds. The brand has grown to hundreds of locations across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
